Why a website built in 2026 will outperform anything designed in the previous decade

A decade ago, building bespoke websites was expensive because teams spent huge amounts of time recreating the basics. Today, a fresh, fully-custom website is cheaper because the tools and frameworks we use are much more advanced.

That means we can spend less time retreading old ground and more time solving real business problems. The result? A website that’s often more cost-effective than older builds, while being significantly more capable and future-proof.

Speed is now a competitive advantage. Search engines, like Google, actively promote faster (and more secure) websites. And in an age where society expects quick answers - and users expect pages to load instantly - speed is essential, especially on mobile.

Here at Buzz, we build our websites using Microsoft’s Orchard Core framework (read more about that, here), which allows us to combine the flexibility of a content management system (CMS) with the speed of a static site. That means faster load times that reduce bounce rates, improve engagement, and directly support SEO performance.

Security standards have evolved dramatically in the website world. And, while legacy platforms still largely rely on executing changed or added code directly on the server, this can be a common source of vulnerability.

Orchard Core takes a different approach, preventing unauthorised code from running at all. The result is that hacking techniques used against older CMS platforms (like Wordpress) are ignored, while spam and junk submissions are stopped before they reach your inbox.

It’s so good that, by using Orchard Core, we’ve had zero critical issues found during penetration tests, helping us maintain ISO 27001 certification (the leading international standard focused on information security) and proving our robust systems that help protect your data against cyberattacks and ransomware.

For us, a modern website is about putting the content control back where it belongs - with your team. 

And, with Orchard Core, not only can we build completely bespoke websites for our clients (without limitations), but it also gives us the opportunity to create specialised modules that are easy-to-use, no matter your CMS skill level.

It means you can forget unexpected, budget-draining third-party plugins later down the line. We’ll build features you actually need, like our new A/B testing modules that make it safer than ever to try new ideas, backed by data rather than guesswork.

The best part? Our editing tools are quick to learn, with most of our clients having full confidence after only an hour of training. And if you ever want to move your site, your domain or your email elsewhere, you can. If you’d like to take your site, domain name or email somewhere else, we’re happy to help.

Today’s websites are no longer just a shop window for your brand, while you tackle business needs across several different platforms. Often, they’re part of a wider business management system, connecting to CRMs, analytics, marketing platforms, payment gateways, apps and eCommerce systems.

With Orchard Core, we can ensure new websites are designed to make linking with other services straightforward using single sign on, GraphQL and custom APIs. 

For example, the framework uses the same template language as Shopify (called ‘Liquid’), which means they can easily operate together to provide a strong shopping experience alongside advanced content management. 

Payments can also be taken through Stripe and other payment gateways to allow you to chart for propane services through your website, including subscriptions, while events and schedules can be set up to automatically display on a calendar with links to pages that search engines will find.

Orchard Core can even act as the backend for apps, allowing your website to grow into a genuine business hub.

Modern websites outperform older ones because they’re faster, safer, easier to manage, and designed around how the web actually works today. Just think; with AI search and changing user behaviour, you need to be prepared.

If your current site was built before 2020, it’s likely holding your business back.

The good news is that, at Buzz, we can build websites designed to adapt, without completely starting again. We can even reuse designs, content and graphics from an existing site and still provide the speed and security upgrades of Orchard Core, so you can step into the future with confidence.

Here at Buzz, we’ve been working with Orchard Core and its predecessor for more than 15 years - that means we have stacks of experience making it work in the best ways for your business!

With this framework, we can extend a website way beyond the basics all the way to a one-stop business hub running your entire operation. We’ve even built our own tools to speed up the web development process, so our time is spent giving you what you want, not retreading old ground.

We’re flexible, too. We can work with your existing design team, or handle the full process, including rebranding, while taking care of the tech so you can focus on your business.

We also appreciate no one likes to be kept in the dark, which is why communication is a priority for our team. We’ll keep you in the know, every step of the way. And, if you ask us a technical question? We’ll answer in plain English, so you know exactly what we mean.

If you’d like to explore the idea of a new website, but don’t know exactly what you need, we run friendly discovery workshops that let you freely explore ideas and options without commitment. 

Just get in touch, and we’ll help you get started.